1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to markers and anchoring apparatus and, in particular to markers which are flexible and resilient in order to self-erect after impact by a vehicle. The anchoring apparatus is particularly useful with such markers, but has other applications as well.
2. Prior Art
Flexible and resilient markers have been the subject of substantial development activity, as reflected by the number of patents issued. One of the first in this area is disclosed in German Patent No. 2,309,249, which was published on Aug. 29, 1974. This patent was directed toward replacement of a single piece rigid tubular rod which had a lower end buried in the ground or connected to a base. When impacted by a vehicle, such a rigid rod was usually destroyed. This patent introduced the idea of connecting a separate rod to a base or a stake rod buried in the ground with an elastic synthetic material. This allowed the rod to take an impact and still be returned to an upright position by the elastic material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,567 discloses an alternative approach in which an outer elongated flexible and resilient marking tube has another inner tube of resilient flexible material nested inside of the outer tube, so that the two resilient tubes cooperate to return the outer marker tube to an upright position. While a tubular flexibly resilient connector is shown in the above-noted German Patent, the upward extension of the inner tube in the '567 patent is supposed to help when the outer marker tube projects several feet above the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,823 discloses a marker in which a post portion is connected to a stake portion by an external flexible elastomeric sleeve. This approach was also shown in the above-noted German patent. However, this patent discloses a post and a stake, each of which has a width exceeding its thickness so that the post bends only at the elastomeric sleeve in directions perpendicular to the widths of the post and stake. A mower especially designed for use with this marker can then mow over the markers in the bending directions of the marker, without damaging the markers or the mower while allowing the markers to self-erect after the mower passes.
Examples of other self-erecting markers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,914 and 4,092,081.
It has been desired for some time to use a Miles Utility configuration for a marker post. This configuration has a longitudinally extending central tubular section with wings extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central tubular section. The wings add significant signage space without any additional pieces being required. This configuration can be extruded at a low cost from a carbonic-acid polyester of bisphenol A, which is available from Mobay Corporation as MAKROLON (trademark) polycarbonate resin to provide a marker post which has good flexible resiliency at both low and high temperatures. This flexible resiliency is primarily available when impacted from directions substantially perpendicular to the wings. In addition, this configuration provides more visibility with the wings than the cylindrical tube marker. However, off-center impacts, and particularly impacts from the sides of such a post in a direction parallel with the plane defined by the wings may crumple or permanently bend the wings. This crumpling may inhibit or prevent self-erection after an impact. Moreover, even though the post may recover to an acceptable upright position, the crumpling of the wings may not return the top of the post to a position in which the width of the wings is oriented toward the direction of vehicular traffic. This obviously reduces the effectiveness of any reflective materials or signage carried on the top of the post.
Another problem encountered with the Miles Utility configuration has been finding an acceptable and inexpensive way to use that configuration as the stake portion of a marker post. When a pointed stake end has been inserted into the ground by driving or use of a pilot hole, the stake end tends to work its way out of the ground because it does not grasp the ground well. Therefore, expensive and specifically modified separate stakes have been connected to an upper post section using the Miles Utility configuration.
A number of soil anchors have been devised in the past. U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,135 discloses a simple soil anchor having a generally V-shaped cross-section. The anchor is driven into the ground by placing a driving rod in the apex. Straps are attached to each leg of the "V" and extend out of the ground, where the strap ends are coupled together around a pipe or the like being anchored to the ground. Although this anchor is not disclosed as useful with stakes or posts, the apex of the V-shape is rounded which would make it difficult to keep the anchor in an opening formed in a post or stake during normal handling before insertion into the ground. Moreover, the anchor could be accidentally bumped out of the opening very easily. There is no teaching of structure to grasp the sides of a post or stake to prevent separation of the anchor therefrom, because there is no post or stake disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,166 discloses an anchor member 61 used in a flexible guidepost 51 in FIGS. 7 through 10. The anchor has a generally V-shaped configuration with a rounded apex or bend 62 and two legs 63, 64. As discussed above with respect to the '135 patent, the rounded apex makes the anchor vulnerable to falling out or being bumped out of the slot or opening 65. In addition, during impact one of the leg ends may be caught up against a stone or rock, causing the leg to push down against the apex so that the anchor can be held in place and pushed out of the slot as the post is moved upwardly by the impact. The post would then move upwardly along the leg and slip off of the leg when it reaches the end of the leg--thereby losing the anchoring effect. Finally, when the post is driven into dense soil such as clay, the legs can be pinned flat up against each side of the post by the clay. The pinned legs will form a track in the clay as the post is driven into the ground, with a width and depth determined by the width and thickness of the legs. As the ambient air flows in the track, the clay will dry and set up into a very hard surface that will prevent the legs from spreading out to engage the clay. Thus, an impact or other lifting force on the portion of the post sticking out of the ground may be able to remove the post from the ground because the anchor effect has been lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,530 discloses a soil anchor structure used with a self-erecting tubular marking post which is flexibly resilient. Diametrically opposed holes 34 are formed in the below-ground portion of the marking tube. A pair of spring fingers 35 are secured by rivets to the inside surface of the marker tube and extend out through holes 34 to engage the soil. This is a very expensive approach to the problem, because there are substantial assembly costs and many different parts to be manufactured and kept track of.
U.S. Patent No. 1,334,812 discloses a hollow tubular post having an anchor element with a central portion having four legs connected thereto. When the central portion is positioned within the bore of the tube, the legs extend upwardly along the walls of the bore. The upper tips of the legs are curved outwardly. A block is positioned in the bore on top of and connected to the central portion of the anchor. When the block is pulled upwardly, the outwardly curved ends of the legs engage slots formed in the sides of the post which forces the legs out through the slots into engagement with the ground. As with patent '530 discussed just above, this is a very expensive solution requiring substantial assembly costs, machining, and different parts to be manufactured.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,153,450 discloses outwardly curved spring strips riveted to the stake portion of a guy anchor. Once again this is an expensive approach.
The above review of the prior art reveals the need for new and improved marking and anchor apparatus. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide such improved marking and anchor apparatus.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved device to be at least partially inserted into an aggregation of material and retained therein.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide such a device which is a marker having post and stake portions whether such marker is a single-piece unit or a two-piece unit having separate post and stake sections, or in which such device is a guy anchor or the like.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a device which has an improved anchor component.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved anchor component.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved two-piece marker which has separate post and stake or base sections joined by an elastomeric hinge.
Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent when the following description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.